Bill Pierce to Join Chicago White Sox Legends in Bronze at U.S. Cellular Field

A
life-sized sculpture of franchise pitching legend Bill Pierce will be unveiled
by the Chicago White Sox prior to the team’s game on Monday, July 23, 2007.

The Pierce
sculpture will be located on the main concourse near left-center field.
Pierce’s will be the sixth in a series of sculptures unveiled honoring Chicago
White Sox greats. Sculptures of club founder Charles A. Comiskey and Cuban
great Orestes “Minnie” Minoso were unveiled in 2004. Carlton Fisk’s
sculpture was unveiled in 2005, while the famous double play duo of Luis
Aparicio and Nellie Fox was honored with sculptures last summer.

Bill
Pierce will participate in the sculpture’s unveiling before throwing out the
ceremonial first pitch prior to the game vs. the Detroit Tigers. Tickets are
still available for the game by calling 1-866-SOX-GAME or visiting whitesox.com

“Bill
Pierce is one of the truly great pitchers in Chicago White Sox history,”
said White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. “And as great a pitcher as Bill
was for those 1950s Sox teams, he is an even greater human being, working for
decades as the heart and soul of Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities. While he
won over 200 games in his career, Bill should be just as proud of the millions
of dollars he has raised to help others. It is more than fitting that he is
immortalized in bronze along with other legends of the organization and will
forever be a part of White Sox tradition and history.”

Pierce was
acquired from the Detroit Tigers on November 10, 1948. In the next 13 years
with the White Sox, the left-hander won 186 games, struck out 1,796 batters and
was selected to the All-Star Game seven times, starting the game on three
different occasions. Pierce’s strikeouts rank first in team history, while his
win total ranks fourth. A member of the 1959 American League Champion White
Sox, Pierce threw four scoreless innings out of the bullpen during the World
Series.

Pierce
made one more World Series appearance with the San Francisco Giants in 1962. He
retired following the 1964 season, finishing his career with 211 wins, 193
complete games and 38 shutouts. But it was his congenial personality and upbeat
demeanor, not his numbers, which made him a favorite among fans throughout the
city.

After his
playing career, Pierce served as and continues to be an ambassador for the
White Sox, appearing at community events on behalf of the organization. Pierce
also is a driving force on behalf of Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities, which
since its inception in 1971, has raised over $11 million for cancer patient
care, education and research programs at
Northwestern

Memorial
Hospital
and Children’s

Memorial

Hospital.